Astros set Wednesday noontime news conference amid reports of Dusty Baker and James Click’s return

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — The Astros’ back-to-back World Series appearances – one of which ended with a championship – may never have happened without Dusty Baker’s moves on the field and James Click’s moves in the front office.

Both are without a contract with the club after their deals were up after the 2022 season.

But their standing with owner Jim Crane may finally be addressed when the club meets with the media on Wednesday.

The Astros set a news conference for noon at Minute Maid Park, but they didn’t disclose the subject of the event in advance.

Baker has signaled a comeback, saying that “if I win one, I want to win two.”

Baker, 73, the club’s manager on the field, and Click, the general manager in charge of team acquisitions and development, were signed on to the team before the 2020 season in the wake of the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal.

While the team at the time of their signing was in great shape due mostly in part to prior leadership, both Baker and Click inserted their separate brands of change in the clubhouse.

Baker shepherded the Astros to deep postseason runs in each of the three seasons he’s managed, with the most recent resulting in his first career managerial World Series title. Click, who came over from the Tampa Bay Rays, has made a handful of seemingly insignificant but shrewd moves to not only rebuild a top pitching staff, but also reload a roster that lost team cornerstones George Springer and Carlos Correa.

Multiple reports state Baker and Click are coming back on one-year deals. has not independently confirmed the impending signings.